South Africans actors want ‘Winnie’ recast

South Africans actors want one of their own, not Jennifer Hudson, to play Winnie Mandela in a new film about her.

Jennifer accepted the lead role in Winnie just last month, but there is a dispute brewing over her casting. According to the AFP, The Creative Workers Union feel that using anyone but a South African actor to tell her story would defeat their efforts to create a film industry in the country.

"It can’t happen that we want to develop our own Hollywood and yet bring in imports," Union President Mabutho Sithole told The Citizen newspaper.

And if producers don’t meet the groups demand for a recast, dissenters are prepared to stop production on the film altogether.

"This decision must be reversed, it must be stopped now," Oupa Lebogo, union secretary general, told The Times. "If the matter doesn’t come up for discussion, we will push for a moratorium to be placed on the film."

However, it’s not as if Winnie will be devoid of local talent. The film is being directed by Darrell J. Roodt, a South African filmmaker whose résumé includes Cry, The Beloved Country and Sarafina.